Editor’s Note:ourLynden was started with a vision to connect and sustain community in Lynden by sharing inspiring and positive stories happening around us. We’re encouraged to hear of Jesse’s experience of being welcomed with open arms, despite his worry about connecting to a new community. We know others who feel that Lynden is a hard place to be a newcomer. Our hope is that you’ll be encouraged to meet new Lyndenites and be intentional in welcoming them to town. If you’re wondering where to start, Overflow Taps may be just the spot to meet someone new! Here’s your letter from Jesse:

Dear Lynden,

About eight years ago I met my beautiful wife Kristen on a birthday run. She is from Lynden and is the sole reason I came to know you. At that point in my life, I was pretty confident I would never marry. I realize now that the decision was not mine to make. It was made for me via some master plan. I believe Overflow Taps and ultimately solving the global water crisis is a part of that plan as well.

“When I first moved here, I was a bit worried about whether or not I’d fit in… You welcomed me with open arms.”

When I first moved here, I was a bit worried about whether or not I’d fit in. That it might be difficult to feel connected with a community I’ve never been a part of. Without you, I would have never met my business partners and friends, Adam Stacey and Josh Libolt. You welcomed me with open arms. You invited me into your home and showed me so much love and kindness. In very much the same way, you have extended this generosity to Overflow.

Yesterday, YouTube user James Gassman posted a beautiful aerial tour video of Lynden, which he calls “Soarin’ Lynden Final Cut”. While much of the footage was shot for his ‘first cut’ version of the video about a year ago, it is a unique and beautiful perspective on the area we all love.

The version below is about 4.5 minutes, starting with liftoff of the drone used for filming, in Downtown Lynden across from the Windmill at 7th & Front Streets. [On a desktop or laptop computer: press Play, then click the frame icon in the bottom-right to view Full Screen].

The 25th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade this last weekend lit up thousands of smiles!

From Fairway Center down Front Street through Downtown Lynden, more than 40 well-lit floats including everything from classic tractors to modern farming equipment, ATVs to horse-drawn carriages, passed thousands of onlookers on Saturday evening, December 5th. Light rain and relatively warm temperatures (compared to past years) provided a great setting for this year’s parade, sponsored by Edaleen Dairy and put on by the Lynden Chamber of Commerce.

HOEK Photography of Lynden provided us lots of great parade pictures to enjoy! While every float isn’t included, these twenty pictures provide a wonderful glimpse into the evening. Click the gallery pictures below and arrow through them to enjoy! (Then, continue reading for a bit more story).

Lynden's Lighted Christmas Parade 2015

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As always, Lynden Police Department cleared the way for the Lighted Christmas Parade with their bright red and blue!

The crowds will soon be milling around in downtown Lynden’s iconic windmill once again.

The Mill by Perfectly Paired will have their long-anticipated opening this Wednesday, March 9th followed by a grand opening on Friday the 11th. The wine-and-cheese infused bistro and bar fill the ground floor of the rennovated windmill on the corner of Front and 7th Streets.

Lyndenites Robin and Matt Hungerford, who also own and operate Fairhaven’s Perfectly Paired, have eagerly prepared their menu, space and team for their new Lynden shop. Born and raised in Lynden, Matt explained that while wine and cheese offerings will be similar to their Fairhaven location, The Mill offers a full bar and bistro-style restaurant seating designed with Lynden in mind.

Old world feel makes iconic downtown windmill new again.

The team at Lynden-based Elements Hospitality worked with The Mill to craft a warm environment that hearkens back to the European roots evidenced on the menu. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Elements,” the Hungerfords explained as they shared how the Lynden location came into being.

Friends from their church at North County Christ the King — Elements co-owner Tim Broersma and Pastor Sean Taylor — approached them with the belief that they were the right tenant for the space. Now, many months later the rest of Lynden will have opportunity to enjoy a new fare in an old world setting within a local landmark.

Lynden’s popular Annual Lighted Christmas Parade is this Saturday, and the weekend is full of fun events you won’t want to miss! The 25th Annual Parade is sponsored by Edaleen Dairy, and is put on by the Lynden Chamber of Commerce. Whether this is your first time or you’ve been to all 25, you’ll be glad you went!

The below clip is from a few years ago by Lynden Tribune, to give you just a hint of what you’ll find at the Parade:

A few tips for this year’s Lighted Christmas Parade:

arrive early and allow extra time for parking — the parade seems to be more popular this year, and with moderate temperatures in the forecast it should be busy! Front Street will be closed from around 3:00pm onward so getting around town will take extra time.

dress warm (of course!) and dry — there is potential rain in the forecast (which is certainly no reason to miss this awesome parade), so a raincoat layer and umbrella on hand is a good idea.

check out one of the ‘hot spots’ provided by North County Christ the King Church — either in the Fairway Center parking lot by the church, or at the Windmill downtown, grab a cup of hot chocolate and hand warmers to stay warm!

keep a close eye on kids — while this is a wonderful event for children, it can be difficult for the drivers of the giant tractors and floats to see well, so be sure to keep your kids off the street and in your reach for the best experience!

1,250 feet — that’s all the way through downtown Lynden.

From the Dutch Village Mall on 7th & Front all the way to Colony House Furniture on 3rd & Front near the museum, a world-record berry shortcake will block the road on Saturday, June 4th during this year’s Farmers Day Parade.

“Since we have the world’s sweetest strawberries and shortcake is such a wonderful way to enjoy them, this will be a fun way to celebrate Lynden’s 125th anniversary”

Lynden is known for its berries, dairies, and a love of food — so the giant treat seemed like a great way to gather and celebrate as a community. Gary Vis, executive director of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce, explains that the shortcake will be topped with locally grown strawberries, plus local ice cream and whipped cream. The community will then be invited to eat free servings of the strawberry shortcake.

A mini strawberry shortcake, which pales in comparison to Lynden’s record-setting attempt this summer!

Plenty of people should be around to help eat the shortcake, since it will be built immediately following the popular Farmers Day Parade, which draws up to 10,000 people annually. The parade, which celebrates our local agricultural heritage, will start at 10:30 a.m. and conclude around 12 noon.

“Once we’ve built the 1,250-foot shortcake, photographers and a drone will produce the documentation we need to submit to Guiness World Records,” Vis said. “Then volunteers will begin serving free strawberry shortcake to everyone who stays.”

So many good things have been happening in Lynden lately, even beyond all the normal awesomeness that is Lynden. One new arrival to town is the Bellingham Baby Co., which opened their second retail location at the Waples Mercantile Building. The entrance to the new shop is in the interior of the building, through the Lobby of the Inn at Lynden; just past Overflow Taps and behind Drizzle and Village Books.

Bellingham Baby Co. is owned and operated by Lyndenites Shelly and Jeremy Allen. The new Lynden location which opened in early January is their second brick and mortar shop, in addition to their Barkley Village store and online presence.

The shop features a great selection of local Lynden-themed prints, including gear for the little Lynden Lion or Lync in your family!

Today is a holiday celebrated across the country with the main focus being Thankfulness. Families and friends will gather in Lynden today over tables with copious amounts of delicious food. Many with history in Lynden will make the trek home to join family here, while others will make the trek away to join family elsewhere.

Regardless of your particular circumstance this Thanksgiving, it is our hope and prayer that you can find much to be thankful for this year. It may sound strange to focus on being thankful if you’re in a season of difficulty, but it is truly like medicine for the soul.

It was Lynden’s biggest winter storm in decades.

For a week straight, snowfall pounded Lynden area like no other in the state. Freezing rain layered dangerous ice on nearly everything. Strong winds brought bone-chilling cold that piled snow in large drifts and took down ice-laden power lines and trees.

And the Lynden community responded in a big way.

As conditions worsened, residents stayed home when possible. City crews plowed roads around the clock, but it wasn’t enough. But seemingly every tractor in the area — large and small, new and old — was re-purposed to clear snow from roads and driveways.

Nick Snydar worked around the clock in Snydar Farms’ tractor to clear roads and pull drivers from the ditch.

Nick Snydar of Snydar Farms Custom Farming, pictured in the John Deere tractor above, was very active all week volunteering his time and resources. “Just did what I could to help the local farmers and neighbors we serve in the county.”

With his large tractor, Snydar focused mainly on county roads surrounding Lynden. “I know what a struggle it is for milk trucks and feed trucks to get around to the farms and the county snowplow trucks couldn’t keep up!” He even pulled out a stuck snowplow, in addition to Sheriff’s vehicle, other large farming equipment, and around a dozen cars.